1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector coupling apparatus for example used in a vehicle door and preferable for fitting female and male connectors having multiple poles to each other and releasing them.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This kind of connector fitting structure has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. 9-55262. In the connector coupling apparatus disclosed therein, as shown in FIG. 1A, a female connector 5 provided on an electrical device is fit to a male connector 1 inserted into an insertion hole 8a of a connector mounting plate 8 through a mounting opening 9a of an instrumental panel 9. This male connector 1 has a flexible engaging piece 2. Prior to fitting of the male connector 1, a protrusion 2a provided on the engaging piece 2 is engaged with the insertion hole 8a of the connector mounting plate 8. As shown in FIGS. 1B, 1C, the female connector 5 is inserted through the mounting opening 9a of the instrumental panel 9 and fit to the male connector 1. As a result, when the male connector 1 is normally fit to the female connector 5, the engaging piece 2 deflects downward so that a hook portion 3 on a front end of the engaging piece 2 is embedded into a recess hole 6 of the female connector 5. When the electrical device 4 is further pressed from this condition, as shown in FIG. 1D, the male connector 1 is forced up to an assembly position, so that the female connector 5 is locked within the mounting opening 9a of the instrumental panel 9 through a locking piece 4a of the electrical device 4.
However, in the above described conventional connector fitting structure, because there is formed a tapered face 2b on a rear portion of the protrusion 2a of the engaging piece 2 of the male connector 1, the male connector 1 is likely to retract halfway when fitting together both the connectors 1, 5, so that it is difficult to install both the connectors 1, 5 at a normal position where both the connectors are fit to each other completely, thus the reliability of connection is low. Therefore, if the fitting between both the connectors 1 and 5 is released for maintenance and inspection, the male connector 1 remains drooping behind the connector mounting plate 8, so that it is impossible to fit both the connectors 1, 5 to each other when the maintenance and inspection is completed. If the wire harness connected to the male connector 1 is pulled for some reason after both the connectors 1, 5 are fit to each other, there is a fear that the fitting of both the connectors 1, 5 may be lost because there is no locking means provided between both the connectors 1 and 5. Further, because both the, connectors 1, 5 are fit to each other by only a holding force between a female terminal (not shown) of the male connector 1 and a male terminal 7 of the female connector 5, the fitting force between both the connectors 1 and 5 is insufficient so that it is weak against a vibration, thereby often producing looseness, abnormal noise and the like.